Official Art Blog of Artist Elaine Weiner-Reed (EWR). Thoughts about art and the creative process, ideas to consider, and musings on life and how it connects to this artist's thought and work processes. See also her official Collaboration Initiative: http://ewr-everypaintingisasong.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 24, 2018

From Methadone Centers to Poop Maps to Inspiration...A Winding Road

From
Methadone Centers to Poop Maps to Inspiration...

Southern California Has It All

Keeping
Our Eyes and Mind – But Maybe Not Nostrils - Wide Open

Sometimes
the road to inspiration is a winding road, indeed – filled with new sights,
cultural anecdotes, and experiences. Methadone Centers, Poop Maps, and Great
Art, are not co-located anywhere as far as I know, but you can and will find
all three in many locations throughout California.

Regarding Methadone Centers, they reportedly can play a part in a typical day
for a California Lyft Driver. Poop Maps
– Apparently they are a new fact of life in some Sanctuary Cities…, but hopefully NOT
coming soon to a neighborhood near you. Finally, some insight into how all of
our experiences factor into who we are and inspire our creativity, vision, and
art. Read on to discover some of my recent Southern California adventures…

A Day in The Life
of a California Lyft Driver

In mid-February 2018, during a sublime
period that I now refer to as The Winter
of My Content (coming in a future post), the time came for me to return my
rental car. I must have lucked out, for my ride showed up within a minute of
Hertz’s call to Lyft. On that gorgeous February morning, I met Driver Michael,
who would be taking me back to my haven, my desert oasis, my creativity retreat
in Cathedral City, some 5 miles away.

I climbed into his car, and after giving
him my address, asked him about his day and how he was doing. It was 9:40 AM.

He replied: “Uh… It’s okay.” Hmmm. His less-than-upbeat
response led me to follow-up questions. What can I say…? I like meeting and
talking to people. “Michael, …um…just ‘okay’? Did something happen…?” To
myself, I remember stifling a sigh and thinking: “Oboy… I’m in for one of thoserides.” Unsure about tipping protocols
for Lyft, and hoping to make his day better, I located and held onto several
dollar bills just as he began his tale.

Michael said “My first ride of the day
took me about 20 minutes or more out of town. It turns out the passengers were
‘not ready,’ so I waited. Fifteen minutes or so later, we were off. The
destination was a Methadone Clinic or Center (For information on the treatment
and laws regulating care of Methadone addicts, start your research here.).” I imagine
that my eyes were quite wide in shock, as Michael continued: “Then, I had to
wait for them to get their shots (yes, of meth) and then drove them back to the
pickup location.” I did not ask for details. Wow. This was a cultural eye-opener for me, for sure!

As we approached my development, I asked
Michael why he didn’t just leave when the passengers were not ready to climb
into his car. He explained that yes, he could have left and deemed them a “no
show” to Lyft, but then he would have not only been “out” the fare, but also an
hour of his workday and the gas to and from the location. I then naively
queried whether he could refuse such rides in the future. Not so much, it turns out… He explained
that in California, he could: a) turn off the Lyft App and therefore lose
business up until 1 PM – the end of the methadone centers’ appointment times
for Saturdays at least; or b) stay in business and continue to see where the
calls led him each day. By law, he informed me that Lyft Drivers were not
permitted to refuse such rides or such passengers. While I do not know the ins
and outs of the laws as they pertain to that domain, I can say that my 5-minute
ride was certainly an eye-opening education for me.

Poop Maps (Oh, My…)

The following is surprising, to
say the least. Travelers, be mindful.

As I walked from Lyft Driver Michael’s car
to my house and turned the key in the door, I was reminded of another
conversation I had a few days earlier with one of my California friends. During
our meandering conversation, he had mentioned some of the down-sides to being a
Californian and living in a Sanctuary
State. Specifically, he mentioned “poop maps.” I thought I had heard him
wrong… “Poop maps…?!” I questioned, giggling
a bit at the word. But, no: I had not heard wrong. It’s a thing: Poop Maps. (Google it. I did. You can
begin your research here.)My friend explained that it is very up close and personal to some people
living in San Francisco. There are actual maps indicating the roads on which
huge piles of human excrement from squatters and the homeless can be found. The
purpose of such maps is to help both residents and tourists avoid driving down
foul-smelling unsanitary or unsafe streets.

The Road to
Creativity and Inspiration

Elaine Weiner-Reed at Work During California Retreat 2018

Sometimes the road to inspiration is a
winding road, indeed – filled with new sights and cultural experiences like the two
mentioned above. So it was for me in Southern California
(SoCal). My 5-week art retreat was a joyful and creative sojourn of
peace and sunshine. Regardless of the temperature on any given day, most days were overflowing with warmth. For the first time ever, I was able to escape Maryland's normally dark and coldest month! Personally, I call February the longest short month. I admit, it was a bit scary leaving my house to
fend for itself for five weeks, but as I left there on a snowy morning in January and waited an hour in the plane for it to be
de-iced before takeoff, I felt no regrets as we lifted off. I smiled and didn’t look back. For me, it was another art leap of
faith, and I hoped to paint and write continuously for those 5 weeks, unlocking my creative muse. I knew it was an opportunity of a lifetime that might not come
my way again.

Keeping my face to the sun each day in my idyllic home-away-from-home outside Palm Springs, I took pleasure looking at the weather app each day,
comparing temperatures where I was to my hometown in Maryland. Although
I painted, sketched and wrote every day, I could describe my painting sessions as 1-week “immersions," where I alternated
intensity: one week, I was “on high power” and the next “lower power.” My high immersion weeks were weeks filled with intense daily painting. My two low immersion weeks were
spent critiquing and
analyzing each painting in progress. Did it work? Was it a good start…or was it finished?

During those two low-immersion weeks, I took some road trips or sightseeing excursions with my sister. One such excursion will be the focus of a future blog post because that small
enclave was the biggest inspiration for me in SoCal and probably the most
inspiring “art show” of my entire life – comparing it to museums and exhibits I
have seen. All my days during those 5 weeks were spent “in the creative zone,”
and I have rarely felt so happy, energized, and motivated to create. You could say I found new inspiration there in the desert!

As
you can imagine, I returned home with a laptop and mind full of ideas,
inspiration, and new blog articles to draft and share. As always, it is my hope
that my writings and life experiences can help or inspire you in your own
creative path. Who knows…? Hopefully you, too, will take the creative leap-of-faith when your own opportunity
comes knocking!